Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue, 4th session, 6-10 March (opening address)

ADDRESS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL AT THE OPENING OF THE
FOURTH SESSION OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON
NAVIGATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND SEARCH AND RESCUE

(6 to 10 March 2017)

Good morning, distinguished delegates, I am very pleased to welcome you to the fourth session of the Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue. I particularly welcome those delegates who may be attending this Sub-Committee for the first time.

IMO's goals and objectives can only be achieved when all Member States join together to implement IMO standards effectively in a uniform and harmonious manner. I urge you to continue working together globally, throughout the year, to create and sustain an even safer, more secure, more environmentally friendly and more efficient maritime world. I will continue my effort in acting as a bridge among Member States to ensure communication and understanding, while pursuing a more efficient Organization, flexibly adapting our resources to the changing needs.

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Before turning to the important items on your agenda for this week, I wish to say a few words about this year’s World Maritime Day theme, which is "Connecting Ships, Ports and People". The theme has been selected to build on the theme of 2016, "Shipping: indispensable to the world", by focussing on helping Member States to develop and implement maritime strategies that invest in a joined-up, interagency approach to address a whole range of issues, including facilitation of maritime transport, increasing efficiency, navigational safety, protection of the marine environment and maritime security.

I believe that the theme will provide a good opportunity to improve cooperation between ports and ships and develop a closer partnership between the two sectors; to raise global standards and set norms for the safety, security and efficiency of ports; and to standardize port operational procedures through identifying and developing best practice guidance and training materials.

It has always been my firm belief that the maritime sector, which includes shipping, ports and the people who operate them, can and should play a significant role in helping Member States to create conditions for increased employment, prosperity and stability ashore through promoting trade by sea; enhancing the port and maritime sector as wealth creators both on land and, through developing a sustainable blue economy, at sea.

To this end, I want to single out that operational aspects related to navigation and communications are important components in ensuring the safety of navigation, as well as the safety of human life at sea and ashore. Increasing navigational safety is, in particular, crucial in the busy shipping approaches to ports and in port areas. Important developments such as the modernization of the GMDSS and the implementation of e-navigation are significant in this respect.

On this occasion, I would like to emphasize that your Sub-Committee's principal role is to ensure professional and comprehensive consideration of all technical matters related to the aspects just mentioned, including the development of any necessary amendments to relevant conventions and other mandatory and non-mandatory instruments, as well as the preparation of new mandatory and non-mandatory instruments, guidelines and recommendations, as appropriate.

In this context, I would also like to remind you of the agreement reached by the Council in its session in December 2016 on the new strategic plan for the Organization. While the overall plan will have only seven strategic directions, in order to ensure that we can focus our efforts and monitor our performance in these seven areas, the Council also reaffirmed that IMO will uphold its leadership role as the global regulator of shipping, promote greater recognition of the maritime sector's importance and enable the advancement of shipping, whilst addressing the challenges of continued developments in technology and word trade.

I would take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of analysing statistics related to maritime casualties and incidents.  I feel that it is appropriate that IMO deals proactively with safety issues, based on the analysis of maritime casualties and incidents statistics.  I believe such effort will contribute to prevention of accidents and navigational safety.

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Distinguished delegates,

Now, I would like to highlight some key issues amongst the various agenda items for NCSR 4.
You are invited to finalize and agree to the draft Modernization Plan of the GMDSS, including three related proposed new outputs, for approval by MSC 98. I would like to encourage you to complete this phase of the project on the review and modernization of the GMDSS, in order to move forward on the review of SOLAS chapter IV and related instruments at your next session. The review of SOLAS chapter IV and related instruments will focus the work towards the implementation of the Modernised GMDSS, which is expected to enter into force in 2024.

I would further emphasize the importance of moving forward with the work on the development and implementation of e-navigation. At this session, you have three e-navigation related outputs on your agenda. While these three items are related to each other, you should recognize that there are three more e-navigation related outputs on your post-biennial agenda which cannot be kept pending indefinitely. Hence, I would encourage you to complete those scheduled for this session as soon as possible in order to move forward to the post-biennial outputs.

Another important item on your agenda is the introduction of additional providers of GMDSS satellite services. In this context, MSC 96 agreed to include a new output to review SOLAS chapter IV and appendix, as a priority for this session. I would like to encourage you to review the relevant parts of SOLAS chapter IV and finalize all the required amendments to accommodate additional mobile satellite systems, which may be global or regional systems.

Among the other important issues before you this week, I would like to highlight the consideration of:

- proposed ships' routeing measures;
- the functioning and operation of the LRIT system; and
- search and rescue related matters, including the harmonization of aeronautical and maritime search and rescue.

Distinguished delegates,

I am confident that you will tackle the tasks before you successfully, inspired by the customary IMO spirit of cooperation and under the able leadership of your Chair, Mr. Ringo Lakeman of The Netherlands, ably supported by the staff of the Secretariat as always, you will make sound, balanced and timely decisions. I extend best wishes to all of you for success in your deliberations.

Finally, as is customary, all of you are cordially invited to a cocktail reception hosted by me in the delegates' lounge this evening.

Thank you.

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